The Raid – Nerdisthttp://nerdist.com
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:15:21 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1Comics Relief: Transgender Hero Stars in New Series ALTERS from AfterShockhttp://nerdist.com/comics-relief-transgender-hero-stars-in-new-series-alters-from-aftershock/
Sat, 25 Jun 2016 01:30:17 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=415538Welcome comics fans one and all, to your weekend edition of Comics Relief! It’s been a big week for comics news, but to start things off — and to help celebrate Pride Month — we have news on the first mainstream comic to prominently feature a transgender hero. Read on for all the details…

New Transgender Hero Chalice to star in AfterShock Comics’ Series Alters

Transgender issues have been at the forefront of public discourse lately, although the comics world has been admittedly slow to catch up. Not for much longer though, because coming up this September, Hellblazer writer Paul Jenkins and artist Leila Leiz are getting ready to introduce Chalice—a transgender superhero with the power to manipulate gravity—in their new AfterShock series Alters. The new book is set to feature a large amount of new heroes, but Chalice will be a main character in the series.

While speaking to the New York Times, Paul Jenkins talked about how a fan named Liz Luu was the inspiration behind Chalice, despite the fact that the idea for the book had always included a transgender hero. Luu suggested a hero who “can only be herself when she’s not herself,” because she hadn’t come out to her family yet, and could only present as a female while in costume. It’s such an obvious idea, it’s kind of shocking it took this long for it to happen. Black Panther artist Brian Stelfreeze will provide covers for the series, with Tamra Bonvillain on colors. Jenkins and Leiz’s Alters will go on sale this September. [CBR]

Love and Rockets Set to Return this Fall

One of the most acclaimed indie comics of all time is the Fantagraphics series Love and Rockets, which has been in some form of publication since 1981. Now series creators Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez — aka “Los Bros Hernandez” — are reviving Love & Rockets as a monthly ongoing series once again.

Gilbert Hernandez’s story picks up on the long-running saga of his “locas” of Palomar, Mexico, with the character of Fritz learning of a grandchild she never knew she had. Jaime returns to Hoppers 13 as Maggie tries to relive her punk years but finds her old friends from that time don’t. Volume 5 of Love and Rockets is scheduled to hit September 28. [Newsarama]

When Marvel’s 2014 Spider-Man multiverse-spanning crossover event Spider-Verse gets its second collected edition in Japan this fall, it’ll come with an all-new exclusive cover by One-Punch Man manga artist Yusuke Murata. Murata had already created a cover for Japan’s first Spider-Verse collection, and when the two volumes are placed side-by-side, the two volumes will create a one giant, epic scene showing many of the multiversal spider-heroes in one big battle scene.

This is not the first time Murata has drawn Spidey or characters from the Spider-side of the — previously, Murata created covers for collections of other Spider-Man storylines, including Spider-Island and Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows. You can see both Spider-Verse covers side-by-side below: [CBR]

A New African-American Woman takes over the mantle of Kick-Ass

Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. are set to return to their creation Kick-Ass—but this time with a twist. A new hero is set to take over the green and yellow costume from Dave Lizewski in Kick-Ass: The New Girl, featuring a young African-American woman, one who will come with a new home city and a new supporting cast.

The new book will be drawn by series co-creator John Romita, Jr. who has committed to work on the book for three years, according to Millar. For the full story on Kick-Ass: The New Girl, be sure to read our full story on the subject by clicking on the following link: [Nerdist]

Movie Franchise The Raid Coming to Titan Comics

This seems to be in the very earliest stages, but it appears the action movie franchise The Raid from director Gareth Evans is coming to UK publisher Titan Comics. When it’s coming out exactly is still a mystery, although all signs point to sometime this fall. How the kinetic action franchise will translate to a comics is anyone’s guess, but consider this another feather in the cap of Titan Comics, who have recently acquired a lot of very cool licenses, like Doctor Who, Penny Dreadful, and more. [Bleeding Cool]

The Late Michael Turner Has a Variant Cover for Justice League #1

The late artist Michael Turner—founder of Aspen Comics and creator of Fathom—is kind of like the Tupac of comics: he’s been sadly gone for nearly a decade, but left so much unpublished work behind, new art of his is still always coming along. Case in point? The Justice League #1 variant cover, featuring the DC Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

The Justice League #1 variant will be sold individually, and as a set — which also includes Turner’s black and white sketch — exclusively through Aspen Comics. Pre-orders begin at 9 a.m. Pacific on June 26 on AspenComics.com. Both Turner’s Batman #1 and Justice League #1 will also be available in limited quantities at the Aspen Comics booth (#2321) at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 21 to July 24. You can see the color version of the cover down below: [Comics Beat]

Latest Marvel NOW! Teasers Hint at a Big Divide

We’ve known for a few weeks now that a new iteration of Marvel NOW! was coming this fall, set after the events of Civil War II. But is it just a re-hash of an old branding, or something more? These latest teasers released from Marvel suggest there is still going to be a divide among the heroes of the Marvel universe once the current Civil War is over. But so far, it looks like it’s a divide between well established characters, and lesser known or newer ones, like Captain America and Mosaic, or Dr. Doom and Ms. America Chavez. You can see all the new Marvel NOW! teasers so far in our gallery below:

]]>THE RAID Director Gareth Evans Releases Gorgeous Samurai Shorthttp://nerdist.com/the-raid-director-gareth-evans-releases-gorgeous-samurai-short/
Wed, 27 Jan 2016 02:00:19 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=359737If you haven’t seen Welsh director Gareth Evans’ Indonesian action movies known as The Raidseries, first of all, go do that right now. If you need more incentive, let’s put it this way: do you want to know why that opening night audience you saw The Force Awakens with cheered when the Kanjiklub gang showed up to confront Han Solo, even though they don’t actually do anything except get chased and eaten by Rathtars? Of course you do. Both Raid movies feature near non-stop action. The first one is frequently compared to Dredd for some coincidental premise similarities (cops assault a building owned and run by criminals, and that’s the whole story); and the second a more traditional undercover cop tale that opens the action up to a far larger world.

Actor Yayan Ruhian, who costarred in both, even got his own Star Wars name, uttered aloud: Tasu Leech. There’s a Lego minifig of him that comes with the Millennium Falcon, and an action figure coming in the next 4″ wave.

It’s unlikely we’ll see more of Leech in Star Wars, but we can see Yayan reuniting with the director who put him on the map and paying tribute to the original Star Wars‘ Akira Kurosawa inspirations in this samurai short, simply labeled “Pre Vis Action” on YouTube. (It’s un-embeddable, so you’ll have to click that title to watch.) Like in The Raid films, its plot is secondary to–and arguably inseparable from–the action, but here it is:

In a time of civil war, a young warrior is given the task of delivering a treaty between two rival lords. During her journey through the woods however, she finds herself hunted by two assassins intent on intercepting her message of peace in a bid to maintain the fear, instability and violent rule of their leader.

Evans shot the whole thing in three days in Wales and demonstrates unmistakably that he hasn’t just been relying on the fighting talents of his actors. His editing skills are integral to the rhythm and flow. He also wanted to demonstrate that he could keep the action bloodless, not be hard-R all the time, and still keep it cool.

We’d say he succeeded. But what do you think? And does the fact that he calls this “Pre Vis” indicate that it’s prep for something bigger? Would you want a PG-13 Gareth Evans samurai flick?

]]>The American Remake of THE RAID Loses Its Director and Studiohttp://nerdist.com/the-american-remake-of-the-raid-loses-its-director-and-studio/
Tue, 27 Oct 2015 23:01:19 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=325663Back in 2011, Sony’s Screen Gems was quick to pick up the remake rights for The Raid, Gareth Evans’ martial arts-infused Indonesian action film. Eventually, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Kingdom star Frank Grillo was lined up to headline The Raid remake for director Patrick Hughes. But it looks like The Raid remake has just encountered a massive roadblock.

A new report suggests that both Hughes and Screen Gems have dropped out of the American remake. As far as anyone knows, Grillo is still attached to the project, but it won’t happen without studio backing or a new director. That’s going to slow down the process of making this remake considerably. But if we got an American remake of Old Boy after ten years, then The Raid will probably get its chance in Hollywood.

The original version of The Raid came out in 2011 and it quickly proved to be an influential action movie thanks to its intense fighting sequences and choreography. The story of The Raid revolves around a S.W.A.T. team infiltrating an apartment block controlled by a crime lord in the middle of Jakarta’s slums. However, the S.W.A.T. team’s mission is unauthorized, and they soon find themselves hunted by the numerous criminals living in the building.

Iko Uwais reprised his leading role as Rama from the first movie in The Raid 2, which was also directed by Evans and released in 2014. There are tentative plans for The Raid 3, but not until 2018 or 2019 at the earliest.

Who should direct the American remake of The Raid? Select your choices and share them in the comments section below!

]]>Mondo Announces SCANNERS, THE RAID, SLEEPAWAY CAMP Vinyls & Morehttp://nerdist.com/mondo-announces-scanners-the-raid-sleepaway-camp-vinyls-and-more/
http://nerdist.com/mondo-announces-scanners-the-raid-sleepaway-camp-vinyls-and-more/#commentsWed, 14 Jan 2015 03:00:00 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=217213Mondo, the art gallery and printing subsidiary of Alamo Drafthouse that’s responsible for troves of amazing film and pop culture-inspired art, has teamed up with recently acquired Death Waltz Recording Company to release a collection of cult classic film scores on vinyl, some for the first time.

The first series of releases includes a double-album comprised of the operatic scores to two David Cronenberg (aka “The Baron of Blood”) horrors, Scannersand The Brood. Both films were composed by long-time Cronenberg collaborator, Howard Shore, who went on to win an Academy Award for his work on the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and feature creepy, Mondo-approved art by Sam Wolfe Connelly (see a sample below). The vinyl even comes in one of two color options: “a Scanners-themed Cream with Brown & Red Splatter mimicking the infamous head explosion and a Brood-themed Gray with Green Splatter to represent Nola’s external womb.” A neat detail to point out when spinning this record at a cocktail party.

Also released is Fajar Yuskemal and Aria Prayogi’s original score to 2012’s The Raid. When the action film import from Indonesia made it’s Western debut, the original score was replaced with one composed by Linkin Park’sMike Shinoda, so this record may be the first opportunity for a lot of fans to experience the heavy, percussive and electronic score it’s creators originally intended. And just look at the album art by comic-book artist Chris Weston…

Rounding out the new releases from Mondo and Death Waltz is an EP of the synthy and frantic “Angela’s Theme”from the 1983 horror flick, Sleepaway Camp. The 7″ includes two other tracks from the film, “Tonight” and “Take A Chance”, and was remastered by performer Frankie Vincihimself, who said, “The three songs may sound sonically inferior to today’s digital recordings but the heart of ‘Angela’s Theme’ is the eerie notes in the intro and the overall vibe. The Yamaha keyboard’s bell sound actually adds to the creepy feel of the movie ending.”

All are available as of today on Mondo’s website. If anyone has had a chance to hear any of these records, please let us know what you think in the comments below!

]]>http://nerdist.com/mondo-announces-scanners-the-raid-sleepaway-camp-vinyls-and-more/feed/1Three Actors From THE RAID Films Could Appear In STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENShttp://nerdist.com/three-actors-from-the-raid-films-could-appear-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/
http://nerdist.com/three-actors-from-the-raid-films-could-appear-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/#commentsMon, 05 Jan 2015 20:30:12 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=214408The Star Wars news mill never stops running. While we don’t cover all the continuously circling rumors about Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming spinoffs, some are irresistible. More than that, some are more likely to be true than others. Falling into that last category is this tidbit: Three actors from The Raid and The Raid 2 are reported to have roles in Episode VII. According to Twitch, Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman will all appear in the film.

That’s all we know. Twitch hasn’t received any comments from the actors or their representatives, and the news hasn’t been confirmed in any official capacity by Lucasfilm or Disney. However, as Slashfilm points out that the founder of Twitch, Todd Brown, was a producer on both of The Raid films. He’s in the loop.

What could their specific roles be? Well, it’s clear from The Raid and The Raid 2 that all three actors are more than capable of handling themselves in a fight. They’re skilled martial artists and proficient with weaponry. That makes them ideal candidates to be involved in hand to hand combat in the film, and when we see longer fights with lots of choreography in a Star Wars film, it tends be lightsaber duels. That doesn’t narrow it down, though. They could be Jedi, they could be Sith, or they could be stormtroopers. Whatever they’re doing in The Force Awakens, I hope they each get more than a few seconds on screen and a death scene with the Wilhelm.

What would you like to see Uwais, Ruhian, and Rahman doing in Episode VII? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>http://nerdist.com/three-actors-from-the-raid-films-could-appear-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/feed/3Go Behind the Scenes with a New THE RAID 2 Featurette & Posterhttp://nerdist.com/go-behind-the-scenes-with-a-new-the-raid-2-featurette-poster/
http://nerdist.com/go-behind-the-scenes-with-a-new-the-raid-2-featurette-poster/#commentsTue, 11 Mar 2014 22:30:40 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=121952Rejoice, action fans. The Raid 2: Berandal has just released a new poster and featurette for your viewing pleasure. While the poster shows the expanded cast of characters splattered in blood, the featurette dives behind the scenes to take a closer look at the long anticipated sequel to the incredible first Raid film. (Watch the first trailer here.)

If you’re worried about being spoiled, consider this: The Raid 2 is nearly two and a half hours long. That’s two and a half hours of jaw-dropping martial arts sequences, bloody battles, broken bones, and general badassery. At ten minutes, The Raid 2 featurette is long — but nowhere near long enough to fully reveal the film’s epic story.

In this behind-the-scenes video, writer/director Gareth Evans teases the new story that continues immediately after the first film. Take a look at some of the fight choreography, special effects, and new characters in The Raid 2… if you dare.

The Raid 2 premiered at Sundance back in January, but we’ll finally have a chance to see the violent bloodbath for ourselves on March 28, 2014. If you haven’t seen the first film, The Raid: Redemption, now is the time!

]]>http://nerdist.com/go-behind-the-scenes-with-a-new-the-raid-2-featurette-poster/feed/1The Ass Kicking Is Back In THE RAID 2http://nerdist.com/the-ass-kicking-is-back-in-the-raid-2/
http://nerdist.com/the-ass-kicking-is-back-in-the-raid-2/#commentsWed, 22 Jan 2014 16:00:43 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=107048Keeping up with the fast paced action of The Raid: Redemption was like trying to swat a hyperactive fly with a mini-fork. But the payoff for keeping your focus was like hitting the jackpot, enough to warrant the massive amount of excitement on which the sequel, The Raid 2, has been on the receiving end.

Gareth Evans is back at the helm to provide us with more head-turning, ass kicking fun along with Iko Uwais, who has reprised his role as the super-cop Rama. If you’re familiar with the first film, then you’re already prepared for the over-the-top combat for which the series is known. But if you haven’t seen The Raid: Redemption, take a peek at the following and allow yourself to get persuaded into going back to watch the first one.

This trailer was brought to you in part by badass Indonesian martial arts films. Speaking of badass, how about that Hammer girl, looking as horrifyingly dangerous as the character has been speculated to be? The lucky folks at Sundance got to watch The Raid 2 premiere last night, but it’s set to release in theaters stateside on March 28, 2014. Until then, you may want to practice with your mini-fork in your spare time.

]]>http://nerdist.com/the-ass-kicking-is-back-in-the-raid-2/feed/1The 2013 Golden Geekshttp://nerdist.com/the-2013-golden-geeks-one-more-winner-to-pick/
http://nerdist.com/the-2013-golden-geeks-one-more-winner-to-pick/#commentsFri, 22 Feb 2013 21:00:57 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=68491Welcome to the 3rd Annual Golden Geek Awards. Every year, the Nerdist Industries editorial team honors the best in cinema that appeals to us, as well as the performances that best represent the nerds and geeks we know and love in real life. Without further ado, here are our selections:

Best Picture: Wreck-It Ralph – From the moment we pressed start on the E3 teaser trailer we’ve been in love with Wreck-It Ralph. Disney did the unthinkable this year and made a better computer animated film than Pixar. Don’t get us wrong, we loved Brave, but Wreck-It Ralph had an incredible amount of depth hidden away in a movie that is essentially about what video games do at night. Rich Moore and company made a triumph of a family movie and we can’t wait for more. So seriously, once and for all, “Shut up and take our quarters!”

Best Director: Rian Johnson, Looper– With its byzantine rules and propensity for paradoxes, time travel is a tempestuous beast to tackle as a screenwriter, but to pull it off as a director takes some serious stones and deft maneuvering. In Looper, Rian Johnson did both with panache, pulling together one of the most exciting new original properties that we’ve seen in years. We just wish that we could go back in time to see it in theaters again.

Best Actor: Fran Kranz, Cabin in the Woods– At its heart, Cabin in the Woods had one simple conceit, “What if Shaggy was the smartest member of the Scooby Gang?” Fran Kranz’s performance as lovable stoner Marty anchored the reality of the film and left an impression of a whole person, not just a caricature. That’s pretty handy when your film deals with horror stereotypes and keeping monsters at bay.

Best Actress: Aubrey Plaza, Safety Not Guaranteed – The most emotionally fulfilling movie about time travel ever made also features the best performance of Aubrey Plaza’s still young career. When first we meet Aubrey’s Darius she’s just as cynical and sarcastic as you could want her to be. But, the changes in her character leave us with a strong female ready for an adventure. Plus, the movie gets bonus points for not using a cop out ending.

Best Supporting Performance: Clark Gregg,The Avengers – We all have day jobs and throughIron Man, Iron Man 2 and Thor we’ve seen Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson doing his. It was in The Avengers that we finally got to see the lighter side of our favorite Agent of SHIELD as he met his idol, Captain America. Gregg’s ability to channel unabashed enthusiasm and then turn on a dime to being a hard ass of the highest order deserves recognition. The Avengers’ utility player will return in The SHIELD pilot for ABC, but he’s getting the nod from us for taking one for the team.

Best Villain: Lena Headey, Dredd – Cersei Lannister ain’t no wilting flower, but in Dredd, Lena Headey proved that she can pack a punch verbally and physically. As Ma-Ma, Headey is the baddest bitch on the block, a slumlord ruling over a two hundred story tenement with an iron fist (and the help of Slowmo, a dystopian version of marijuana). If anyone can inspire equal parts terror and allure, it’s Headey and as the grimy domestic dictator she shines.

Best Badass: Iko Uwais, The Raid: Redemption is the Die Hard of martial arts flicks. Iko Uwais’ Rama is the movies’ John McClane, an honest SWAT team member sent into a slum filled with the dregs of society (that surprisingly all know kung-fu) to take down a crime boss who’s gone too far. The three way fight with Mad Dog is one of the longest and most brutal fight scenes we’ve ever seen… and given a standing ovation to.

Best Screenplay: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard, Cabin in the Woods – When Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon locked themselves in a hotel room to write the script for a horror film, it’s hard to guess what they thought was going to come out of there. The film is a weird balance between Scream, a Don Coscarelli film and an office comedy. With knowing winks to the sandbox they were playing in, tight dialogue and great character development in a short window, Cabin in the Woods is a step above and it only took 3 years for it to see the light of day.

Best Score: Marc Steitenfeld,Prometheus– Whether or not you enjoyedPrometheusor felt that itanswered your burning questions about the Xenomorphs and why there were polar bears on “the Island”, one thing is certain: it had killer music. Marc Steitenfeld’s unnerving score gives the film an appropriately claustrophobic tone by playing with tonality, instrumentation and clever arrangements designed to creep you the hell out. Months later, it’s still chest bursting its way on to our playlists.